A HOUSE OF CARDS
by manme-chan
Summary: Coral, try to protect her brother and her best friend from a dark and mysterious cult. And if she fails,can she live with that, or would she need to find a new place to rest her head? A story of love and sadness, and finding new happiness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the twilight werewolf, or twilight itself...

A HOUSE OF CARDS

I used to be happy. This village was my world, i couldn't imagine anything outside of it; no people, no animals, no trees existed outside of the village. Little did i know that my safe sheltered world was so delicate, so fragile, like a house of cards

And like a house of cards it all fell apart.

It started off with a small tremble, up there in the top so far away from the safe base that even I didn't notice it at first.

Ben.

Ben used to work in dad's diner as a bus boy, he used to let me into the kitchen and show me all kinds of cool machines. The eleven years old me liked Ben, he was nice and always had a piece of candy for me. And then puberty hit. He grew to an enormous size, his muscles bulging like a weight lifter and his moods were always changing from anger to gloominess and back again. He quit his job, and he became distant, preferring the woods than the village. One by one his friends left him until none remained, not even his girlfriend. Looking back that little quake that caused my house of cards to fall- seemed unrelated to me, simply a case of a self-exiled teenager.

And then two years later the first card fell, flattening the top of the pyramid.

Leon.

Leon, my cousin was very energetic, and he never stopped to think before he acted. I could always count on him to take me to adventures, he even introduced me to the art of the fist (as he called it), when my brother refused to teach me. He was a cheerful, fight loving person, until Ben infected him. He grew big and distant, he stopped getting into fights and whenever he was close to showing any glimpse of passion, he either left the room or Ben would take him away. Leon lost his individuality; he became Ben's shadowy image. Always following Ben around, Leon even began to imitate Ben's style, cutting his hair short and wearing ripped t-shirts and jeans even in winter's heart.

The second row fell soon after the first card.

Embry.

I didn't know Embry well, but- me, worshiping my brother as the smartest and most awesome being in the universe, sow no bad in Embry, my brothers choice for a best friend- until he fell to Ben's disease. The symptoms were the usual- a growths sprout into a big corpse that has no individuality or character traits. The days after he was viciously cut off from his best friend, shattered in me the perfect big brother image I had of him. He seemed so broken, so fragile that I too had troubles coping with the new reality. After the first card in the row to fall there was a period of time, were nothing moved, and then the whole row fell fast. The heartless Embry, took my brothers girlfriend. Yes, you heard right that bastard not only hurt my big bro in the worst way he could, but he even came back to stab him just in case Ivory wasn't in enough pain. So my brother was left to die bleeding from internal bleeding, his best friend and his girlfriend both turning their back at him. My betrayed brother turned all of his anger and hatred not at those who hurt him but at Ben himself. I thought it unfair but my brother still refused to think bad on his exfriends. In the end some of my brother's feelings seeped into me, and so I came to despise (with reason) Ben's cult.

For a while the house of cards seamed almost stable, but at the next collapse, the damage was so great, it was hard to recognize the house for what it is.

Half a year after Embry, my brother reached his sixteenth year. There were small changes in him, he began to grow bigger, and his body temperature was higher then usual. Ivory would joke around saying that he might have caught the virus from Embry, but in the end he would assure me that his growth is just natural, and that he will never join them. But I still feared the change. Despite his jokes and denial, the Ben cult started to keep an eye on him, every where he went they would watch him; they always followed him, no matter how hard I tried to protect my brother.

And then the day I feared the most came.

A/N I haven't been on fan-fiction for a year or so, recently I have received some reviews from a story I wrote (named Thoughts), and because of those reviews the desire to write was reignited in me.

Thank you guys even a small comment can mean aloot!

Anyway, I would like to point out that I am still struggling with the changes in the site.

And if my story is like another it is only because "great minds think alike", and not on purpose.

P.S. please review and comment.


	2. Hate

Disclaimer: i don't own twilight...

HATE

It was a week before my 13th birthday, on a gloomy rainy day, the kind of day where you'll never catch me out of the house. You see I hate getting wet; I hate the slimy feeling of the fat rain drops falling on me from the ugly gray clouds, I hate the smell of wet hair. But most of all I hate being cold. Alex always laughs at me saying that I look like a drowned kitten when I get wet.

Since I told Ivy that I'm going to drop by Alex's house and come back soon, I warned to hurry home but when the rain started pouring, Alex suggested knowing my dislike for getting wet that we make some hot coco and wait for the rain to stop. "And after that we should sit next to the heater so that you won't become a _catcicle_." Alex said ending his sentence with what he thought as a funny remark. Well it might have been funny, if I hadn't heard this a thousand times. "Alex, why don't you let me make the coco, seen as you have the amazing ability to burn water" blushing Alex, gave me the pot filled with milk and a chunk of chocolate, looking offended.

That's what I like about Alex; he probably wanted to cheer me up by making the hot chocolate. He's so adorable. But he doesn't like it when I say that, or say his cute. He shakes it off and says:"I'm too old to be called cute" or "can't you see me, as more then that". But I can't help it he is nice, he is really smart (no matter how hard I try even if I will get 100 in a test, he'll find a way to get 101, just to spite me), and he always helps those in need (usually me) But above all he is just plain adorable, every head shake, every smile- reminds me of a cute puppy dog. Of course I'll never tell him that.

"I don't know what you're thinking but, it's probably really evil, judging by your smile" Alex said. I forgot to add all his bad traits, like being super sarcastic and always trying to make jokes, although his sense of humor isn't that good.

As I was boiling the milk and mixing the chocolate, I noticed Ben's cult. They seemed to have a 4th member now. That reminded me of brother's situation. "Hey Alex, I know we talked about it allot, but I'm afraid for Ivory, you know his situation with the cult." "Yea I know Coral, we did talk about it allot. And we already got to the conclusion that your sweet and lovable brother won't go over to the dark side. The whole "situation" with the cult and your brother is none existent. So rest easy, OK?" Alex said in his soothing tone. Usually it helps, but I had a bad feeling about today, and I told him so, adding "and you should see the way they look at him, like their waiting for him to make a mistake, like they own him and he will be part of them. Each time I see them I can't shake my dread away." I didn't sound too scared, I hope. "Of course you have a bad feeling today, it's a cold and miserable day, and the rain keeps falling. Your ominous sign is nothing but some gray clouds, so relax and worry about what you can affect- like that supposedly hot charcoal that you have neglected".

Sometimes Alex can get so annoying, like how he won't stop laughing at me for one mistake I made as apposed to all the others he made. Maybe I should allow him to cook next time, will see whose laughing then. But except that Alex is amazing; he has the ability to change the subject and he can always take my fear away, just by being there or smiling his peaceful smile, with his brown eyes and his long hair glittering in the sun.

The sun?

With that realization I said formally "the sun finely came out to bless us with warmth and a break from the wet rain". "Is rain always so wet?" said Alex his lips twisting into his condescending smile. "Oh what ever, the suns out and so should I be, unless I want to be stuck here for the next rain shower, and I did promise Ivy that I'll return before night fall."

And with that I speed out from Alex's house, running fast, hoping to reach my house before the rain will start again. Luckily enough I reached home just in time, as I opened the door I could hear a rumbling thunder. Inside the house it was freezing!

Gee brother, can't you close a window? I quickly went up the stairs into Ivory's room, hoping to close the window he probably left open when he left the house.

But the room wasn't abounded as I had thought. In the room I sow none other then the Ben cult, including their new 4th member, my freshly cut short haired brother. Immediately I knew that I have lost the battle and probably my brother. "Ivy" I said, the hurt fracturing my voice, "I thought you hated them, you said you won't join them". Already he seemed different, taller, and wilder, not the calm and relaxed brother I knew, and overconfident is the best description I can think of. His voice too sounded over confident when he answered me "I probably did say that, but it was a mistake from me to think that, I was wrong". He was standing in the edge of the room, next to the window, and in attempt to close the mental gap between us I closed the physical gap. "A mistake you say? Ivy, you weren't wrong, Ben stole Embry away from you, who then ripped your girlfriend away too, leaving you alone. How can you befriend them? They hurt you!" Patting my head like he used to do when I was acting silly as a little kid he said: "some stuff you will never understand until you grow up." My brother never says stuff like that, no my brother used to never say stuff like that, it will take time for me to get used to the fact that my brother is no longer here, replaced with another corpse from Ben's cult. Disgusted by him, I slapped his hand away, shouting "don't touch me". I was so angry at the time that I didn't even stop to think as I jumped threw the open window into the rain which my hatred to it couldn't hold a candle to the hatred I now felt.

And so for the first time in my life I felt the poison of real hatred.


	3. A meeting in the rain

A MEETING IN THE RAIN

Disclaimer still stands

Ben's point of view

It's never easy to be a werewolf.

sometimes I think that god himself has punished me with this curse to make up for some forgotten sin. But Curse or gift, neither matter, it's responsibility. I have responsibility to my village to protect them from those who would harm them. I wish she would see it as such.

Luckily for me I am not alone in my mission. Once I was, and the memory of that is still very sharp. The first days were madness, I didn't know what is happening, the confusion led to anger and the anger to multiple transformation. I thought I was going crazy, heck maybe I was, maybe I am. I kept it a secret, not like I could speak to anyone about it. I started going out at nights to practice, that led to tiredness, I was never in the mood for company and without notice- I became a loner.

Along with the insane wolf change, there was another traumatic event. I had a girlfriend back before my changing, and I thought I loved her. Yes only thought, for the love I discovered at the day after my transformation, was so great that none can compare to it. Imprint. The legendry, love in first sight, mambo jumbo in the legend was actually true. Well I shouldn't have been surprised, after all the transformation sounded ridicules too, until I found out the bitter truth. Back then I couldn't approach her, although she is meant to me, I cannot be with her. She was eleven at the time, and it was too early to act. Now it is too late, for she hates me.

I was so excited when Leon joined me in the wolf world, finely some proof I was not totally mad, finally another to share the burden. But then I begin to notice her discomfort towards me. And so it continued, Embry joined us, and he too imprinted, but on his best friends girl. He was torn for days, but in the end I told him that he shouldn't wait too long or we will share the same love deprived fate. And he did. And in so acting she despised me even more, for harming her precious brother. I knew Ivory would turn wolf too, and that scared me. What now, will she hate me even more, should I just explain to her everything?

Please, oh please Coral, please don't hate me, I can't stand it much longer. But my silent prayer didn't help. The day came and past, Ivory joined us and Coral's hatred grew. Alone she felt, betrayed, scared. But before her emotions could take her into dangerous places, her faithful friend did what that I myself couldn't, he saved her. And so she was no longer alone, and she found herself a new balance in life that didn't include her brother. But she was depended on Alex, and I feared what will happen when he too will become one of us. But that is still far away, maybe by then I---

_'God Ben do you even hear yourself? If you want to do something then do it, and stop mopping around when your in wolf form, I don't think I can stand your rambling for much longer'_

Interrupting my thoughts was Leon's rude comment, he sometimes over exaggerating his role as beta thinking he can say such things to the alpha, disgraceful_._

_`I heard that to moppy'_

_'Fine I get your point Leon, now why did you come so early, your shift doesn't start until eight o'clock?' _I thought towards him_._

_'It is eight, you were too busy whining over your girl that you didn't notice the time' _was Leon smug replay_. _Seriously, one day I will teach him a lesson! I would have done so already if I thought it could help. I heard Leon's snicker, right before I returned to human form. As always the change could be felt, the sudden loss of another identity in your head, the loss of protective fur, the fangs too were reduced to mere human sized teeth. But I always feel more comfortable as human. Maybe we aren't made for this change as much as the legend claims.

Heading back to the village I heard a thunder and groaned. Soon it will rain, and although it didn't bother me much, my chances to meet Coral today are none existent. But I was wrong, standing under the small cover from rain that a closed shop provided, was none other then Coral, caught outside by the heavy rain. I was so happy for the unexpected view that without notice I already stood next to her before I could think. I worried of her reaction but there was none. That was new, but soon I discovered how painful it really is.I never thought that I would miss the days she just plainly hated me, hatred had some passion, some feelings. But this blankness, the indifference, it was worse, far worse. Oh Coral can't you see, I cannot explain to you why, not yet, not until I am sure the truth won't send you running away. Sometimes I think it's too early, but mostly the dominant thought is it's too late.

"I wish you would smile to me like you did when I was still working in your dad's dinner" I whispered my whish. "When you were still working in dad's dinner, I actually liked you" came her quiet answer to my words. Could her human ears have heard me, I asked myself, or maybe it was just my imagination and a bit of wind? I searched for answers on her face, but she was emotionless, looking forward without even a flicker of an eye towards me.

Just then there was a break from the rain, and she already left, running away from me as fast as she could. I could reach her if I wanted too, I was fast enough. I could scoop her in my arms and never let go, I was strong enough. But I could never do such a thing to her. I want nothing but success and happiness to her, even if it is not me who gives her that.

Yes, it's never easy being a werewolf.


End file.
